Mets' Nieuwenhuis, den Dekker competing for roster spot

While Nieuwenhuis is out of options, manager Terry Collins indicated that den Dekker has responded to the team's request that he reduce his strikeouts when sent to Triple-A last season.

"We'll just see how it translates this spring into what kind of an offensive player he can be," Collins said of den Dekker. "We know he's got the defensive skills."

Collins said that whichever outfielder shows the most promise will make the initial 25-man roster.

"He plays the game right. He's fearless," Collins said of Nieuwenhuis. "But right now, we've got to get some offense from one of those two guys. Which one of those two guys is going to be able to come off the bench as a pinch-hitter? The best closers in our division are all right-handed, so the left-handed hitter off that bench is going to be a big piece."

Matt den Dekker returns to the lineup

by Scott White | Senior Fantasy Writer

(9/15/2014)Mets outfielder Matt den Dekker got the start in left field Monday against the Marlins after missing the previous five games with a hand injury.

den Dekker took a pitch off the left hand Tuesday. He was batting just .154 (2 for 13) in seven games prior to the injury.

Matt den Dekker to see doctor Saturday

"That hand is just not getting much better," manager Terry Collins said. "He can't grip the bat yet. He's having a tough time throwing. We're going to have them take a look at it when the doctor gets here today to reexamine his hand."

den Dekker was hit on the top of his left hand by a pitch Tuesday, and he remains unable to grip a bat.

Daniel Murphy in, Matt den Dekker out Saturday

by R.J. White | CBSSports.com

(9/13/2014)Mets infielder Daniel Murphy is back in the starting lineup Saturday against the Nationals, but outfielder Matt den Dekker still remains sidelined.

Murphy was sidelined Friday after taking a pitch to the wrist the previous day. den Dekker continues to deal with left hand soreness.

Matt den Dekker not in the lineup Friday

by Igor Mello | CBSSports.com

(9/12/2014)Mets outfielder Matt den Dekker was not in the starting lineup Friday night against the Nations because of soreness in his left hand. Den Dekker was hit by a pitch on Tuesday and hasn't returned since the injury. He is hitting .222/.321/.282 with five stolen bases in 117 at-bats.

Matt den Dekker not ready to return Thursday

by Igor Mello | CBSSports.com

(9/11/2014)Mets outfielder Matt den Dekker is still dealing with soreness in his left hand and was kept out if the starting lineup for Thursday against Washington, per the New York Daily News. Den Dekker was hit by a pitch on Tuesday and hasn't returned since the injury. He is hitting .222/.321/.282 with five stolen bases in 117 at-bats.

Matt den Dekker out Wednesday

The outfielder was hit by a pitch during Tuesday's game, and had to be removed early. His wrist was still swollen Wednesday, and the club will opt to give him a day of rest.

X-rays negative on Matt den Dekker's hand

by R.J. White | CBSSports.com

(9/9/2014)X-rays on the injured hand of Mets outfielder Matt den Dekker came back clean, the team announced.

den Dekker was hit by a pitch in Tuesday's game and had to come out early, but it appears he escaped with only a bruise. He went 1 for 2 before departing. den Dekker has hit .222/.321/.282 with five stolen bases in 117 at-bats.

Mets recall Matt den Dekker

den Dekker is expected to play regularly in left field after posting big numbers with Triple-A Las Vegas, where he hit .334/.407/.540 with eight home runs, 46 RBI and nine stolen bases in 335 at-bats. He leads the Pacific Coast League in batting average at the time of his promotion.

Report: Mets consider releasing Chris Young

The team could wait until the roster expands at the beginning of September so that they can carry both players, but the team isn't sure it wants to wait any longer to bring up den Dekker, who leads the Pacific Coast League with a .334 batting average.

Mets option Matt den Dekker

Matt den Dekker recalled from Triple-A

by Michael Hurcomb | CBSSports.com

(5/26/2014)The Mets recalled outfielder Matt den Dekker from Triple-A Las Vegas Sunday after placing outfielder Eric Young on the 15-day disabled list due to a hamstring injury. den Dekker hit .269 with four home runs and 26 RBI in 47 games for Las Vegas.

Matt den Dekker will be recalled Monday

by Igor Mello | CBSSports.com

(5/25/2014)The Mets will recall outfielder Matt den Dekker from Triple-A Las Vegas prior to Monday's series opener against the Pirates, according to ESPN New York. Den Dekker owns a 275/.333/.431 slash line with four homers and 26 RBI in the minors.

Matt den Dekker dealing with stomach issue

(2/26/2014)Mets outfielder Matt den Dekker is dealing with a stomach issue, according to ESPN.

As outfielders were taking fly balls, den Dekker left to go to the clubhouse. The issue will likely limit his activity for a few days. Last season, den Dekker hit .207/.270/.276 in 58 at-bats.

Matt den Dekker connects for first career HR

by Michael Hurcomb | CBSSports.com

(9/2/2013)Mets rookie outfielder Matt den Dekker connected for his first career home run Sunday at Washington -- a solo shot off Ross Ohlendorf in the second inning. den Dekker also had his first multi-hit game Sunday.

He is batting .250 (3 for 12) with one home run, two RBI, one walk, three runs, four strikeouts and two stolen bases in four games (three starts) since his promotion from the minors.

Matt den Dekker reaches the bigs

by Scott White | Senior Fantasy Writer

(8/27/2013)The Mets called up outfielder Matt den Dekker to fill one of the roster spots created by trading Marlon Byrd and John Buck to the Pirates and placing Matt Harvey on the 15-day DL Tuesday. The 26-year-old hit .291 with four home runs, nine stolen bases and a .795 OPS in 237 at-bats between Clas A St. Lucie and Triple-A Las Vegas.

Baseball America rated den Dekker the 15th-best prospect in the Mets organization coming into this season. He could be a candidate to help replace Byrd in right field, though Andrew Brown got the nod for Tuesday's game against the Phillies.

Matt den Dekker scuffling in Triple-A

by Chris Cwik | CBSSports.com

(7/17/2013)Mets outfielder Matt den Dekker has struggled after returning from his wrist injury.

Though he's playing in Las Vegas, which is known as a strong offensive park, den Dekker is hitting just .191/.291/.383 in 14 games. The outfielder has been mainly used as a defensive asset in the majors, and should return during September call-ups, if not sooner.

Matt den Dekker returns to action

by R.J. White | CBSSports.com

(6/17/2013)Mets outfielder Matt den Dekker has returned to action with Class A St. Lucie. He broke his wrist in a Graprefruit League game on March 24.

Den Dekker hit .274/.321/.458 with 17 home runs and 21 stolen bases in 533 at-bats between Double-A and Triple-A last season.

Matt den Dekker ready for game action

by Michael Hurcomb | CBSSports.com

(6/6/2013)Mets outfield prospect Matt den Dekker, who has been sidelined since late March with a fractured right wrist, is set to return to game action, according to ESPN. den Dekker was scheduled to DH in a back-field game at the team's spring training complex Thursday before it was rained out.

The hope is den Dekker will start to swing a bat in a game Friday.

Matt den Dekker hoping to swing soon

by Igor Mello | CBSSports.com

(6/1/2013)Mets outfield prospect Matt den Dekker, who is recovering from a fractured right wrist, hopes to begin swinging a bat regularly next week, according to MLB.com. He has been swinging with only his left hand because his right wrist is still in a cast, according to manager Terry Collins.

Matt den Dekker making progress

by Bill Passonno | CBSSports.com

(5/13/2013)Mets outfield prospect Matt den Dekker had the cast removed from his right wrist last month and is hoping to return to game action by the beginning of June, ESPN.com reports. den Dekker suffered a fractured wrist during spring training, which has delayed the start of his fourth professional season.

Matt den Dekker out at least six weeks

by Jeff Lippman | CBSSports.com

(3/26/2013)The Mets announced Tuesday that outfielder Matt den Dekker will spend the next six weeks with a cast on his fractured right wrist, reports Newsday. He will not need surgery, which he would have taken even longer to recover from.

Mets outfielder Matt den Dekker avoids surgery

by Chris Cwik | CBSSports.com

(3/25/2013)Mets outfielder Matt den Dekker will not need surgery on his broken wrist. Dekker tweeted that he’ll have to wear a cast on his arm for about a month.

Last season, the 25-year-old hit .220/.256/.373 in 317 plate appearances in Triple-A.

Broken wrist ends Matt den Dekker's chance

by Bill Passonno | CBSSports.com

(3/24/2013)Mets outfielder Matt den Dekker could require surgery after suffering a broken wrist when he attempted to make a leaping catch on the warning track during Sunday's Grapefruit League game. den Dekker, who has made several highlight-reel grabs this spring, will travel to New York for further examination.

"He nicked it up pretty good," manager Terry Collins told ESPN.com. "I’m pretty concerned about it. ... He’s played great. He really has had a great spring defensively. He’s been fun to watch."

The defensively gifted den Dekker, considered a longshot for the opening day roster, went 0 for 2 before leaving against the Tigers to drop his batting average to .205 in Grapefruit League action.

den Dekker sharing glove story

by Bill Passonno | CBSSports.com

(3/12/2013)Mets outfield prospect Matt den Dekker has earned plenty of acclaim for his defensive prowess this spring which has resulted in the thefts of several extra-base hits, including home runs. "Defensively, I'm not sure we've got anybody better," manager Terry Collins told MLB.com. But while the diving catches might thrill fans, den Dekker is also being judged on his offensive merit -- the glaring problem area for the 25-year-old. He is hitting just .222 in Grapefruit League play with more strikeouts (10) than total bases (nine) through 10 games. And with the Mets desperately starved for offensive production, keeping a defensive specialist on the roster is hardly an option. "Everybody talks about platooning," Collins said. "But if you're going to be a platoon player, you've got to be able to do something off the bench in the National League -- not just play defense."